Addresses Exempt From Graffiti Law

Bartlett residents no longer have to worry about getting tickets for displaying their home addresses.

Under the village's previously proposed graffiti ordinance, any unapproved lettering or numbering on a building constituted a "prohibited sign" subject to immediate removal or fine.

Because the ordinance didn't allow for exemptions, street addresses, homeowners' names or initials and decorations were illegal.

Trustees recently approved a corrected version of the ordinance, which now exempts such signs from prosecution. But the law is no less tough on graffiti, said village attorney Brian Mraz.

If property owners refuse to remove graffiti within 14 days, the ordinance allows the village to remove it and charge the property owner for the cost and an administrative fee of no less than $25. Those who refuse to pay for removal face a lien on their property. Anyone convicted of violating the ordinance faces fines of up to $500, Mraz said.